Power generation falls short of target by 8% in Feb

The drop is due to drop in thermal and hydro power production

Power generation in the last month fell short of target by 6,000 million units in the country mainly due to drop in thermal and hydro power production.

Power generation in the country was to the tune of 68,474.92 million units in February this year against the target of 74,532 million units, the data by the Central Electricity Authority showed.

Programmed thermal power generation (central, state and private sectors), during the period was 64,508 million units as against actual achievement of 59,842.12 million units, the data showed.

Hydro power generation was also about 1,000 million units lower at 5,857.69 million units in the month against the targeted 6,857 million units.

State-run hydro power producer NHPC attributed the fall in hydro power to delayed winter season.

"Majority projects in India are run-of-the-river and therefore they are dependent on natural water, the glaciers have not melted yet as the winter was very long ... ," an NHPC official said.

The government has set a target of 9,30,000 million units energy generation for this financial year. The total production this fiscal till February has been at 8,31,435.46 million units.

In the thermal power sector, Power Ministry plans to add 7,67,275 million units by March 2013 and has added 6,91,563.55 million units till date (February), the data stated.

Of the programmed 122045 million units from hydro power generation, the government has been able to achieve 104936.47 million units. And the ministry is 705 million units short of importing 5480 million units of electricity from Bhutan, which is done mainly to bridge the gap in domestic generation.

Nuclear power sector, which comprises a meagre 2.25% of the total energy mix in the country, aims to contribute 35,200 million units of electricity of which it has already added over 30,000 million units, the data added.